High-rise history

A tour of the top floor of the Redwood County Courthouse gives a glimpse into what made the building so unique in town — especially in the late 1890s.

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By Troy KrauseEditor

Redwood Falls Gazette

By Troy KrauseEditor

Posted Mar. 14, 2013 at 3:53 PM
Updated Mar 14, 2013 at 4:02 PM

By Troy KrauseEditor

Posted Mar. 14, 2013 at 3:53 PM
Updated Mar 14, 2013 at 4:02 PM

The Redwood Falls landscape has many distinct features which helps one know as they see the community for the first time on the horizon where they are.

One of those distinct features is a building erected in the late 1890s known as the courthouse. A recent tour of the top floor of the historic building provided a glimpse into that which made the building so unique in town.

An ornate staircase led one to the topmost part of the building, which has been used for one very important task over the years – providing structural stability. The wide wooden beams that stand on that top floor demonstrate the hard work that went into the building of that facility, as hand hewn lumber was raised, without the assistance of modern technology, into place – standing more than 100 years later.

One can see many others have taken their own look at the building over time, as is indicated in the number of names – some dating back to the turn of the century – who came to take a look at this local marvel of history.

The courthouse, which once stood with three steeples certainly has seen its share of unique courtroom stories and controversy.

In fact not everyone in the county was supportive of the erection of the building. A petition signed by 458 people was presented to the county board in May 1891 to postpone the construction. However, immediately after that petition was presented another petition that included 1,094 signatures encouraged to the board to proceed. In the end, the county board approved a project that at its time was considered a model of its kind on every respect at a cost in the $35,000-40,000 range.

While the courthouse has changed over time, some of the stories the building tells have not for more than a century.